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Explorers' Sketchbooks: what the world looked like before Instagram

Chimborazo volcano

by Alexander von Humboldt, 1769-1859

At a time when many areas of the world were still unexplored, von Humboldt ventured into remote areas, drawing detailed diagrams of everything he could. Ecuador's Chimborazo volcano is the subject of this intricate sketch, which shows the various plant species that grow at different altitudes.